Dr. Johan Uvin's Remarks on the Professional Well-Being of Public Service Workers
Below is a summary of Dr. John Uvin's remarks at Suffolk University's "The Call of Public Service: Meet Democracy’s Challenges, and Sustain Devoted Governmental and Nonprofit Workers", hosted by the Moakley Center for Public Management and Sawyer Business School and held in November 2025. Dr. Uvin was joined by Maria Fernanda Canton, chief people and culture officer, Greater Boston YMCA; Denise Casey, town administrator, Wakefield, Massachusetts; and Cecely Reardon, commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services. The panelists were welcomed by Brendan Burke, PhD, director of the Moakley Center for Public Management. The panel was moderated by Maria Mossaides, director of the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate.
A summary of Dr. Uvin's remarks:
- Reaffirm the purpose of public service by protecting the space for values-driven work. Purpose is what draws people into public service. But purpose can’t thrive when people are punished for living it out. Equip public services workers with the support and resources needed to do that work in a political climate that can feel increasingly hostile. Seize on centering moments to share and celebrate examples of mission impact.
- Recognize the emotional labor. Public workers are not just managing tasks; they’re often managing both primary and secondary trauma, fear, and instability — both their own and that of the communities they serve. Recognition and support cannot be symbolic. It must be grounded in real acknowledgment of what people are carrying, and how policy shifts have impacted their sense of identity, safety, and belonging.
- Treat well-being as a structural organizational commitment, not a personal responsibility. Well-being must be designed into the system — not left to individuals to figure out in the margins of their exhaustion. One way to do this is to make our organizations more open by increasing and optimizing opportunities for all employees to engage and contribute, irrespective of their level of responsibility or authority within the organization. It is not enough to say we value everyone’s views and experiences. We have to adjust our structures and processes to actively seek and optimize the views of all.
Dr. Uvin added, "As leaders, we have to reshape how we work, build psychological safety, and create environments where people are not punished for their values but encouraged to live them. At the end of the day, public service is about relationships. And right now, many public servants are asking, 'Do these relationships still value me? Is reciprocity truly present?' Our responsibility as leaders, colleagues, and community members are to ensure the answer is yes — not just in words, but in action, structure, and culture."
Dr. Uvin concluded his remarks by saying that public service is not easy and the complexity of the issues faced now calls for innovative problem-solving. Public service requires resilience, and it can’t be taken for granted.
December 15, 2025
